ESPN host Stephen A. Smith revealed on Sunday that he has ‘no choice’ but to run for president come 2028 if the Democrats do not produce a ‘better’ candidate.
Smith claims that he’s been flooded with messages to weigh up the option of running for president, and it is one he will not be shying away from.
“I have no choice because I’ve had elected officials, and I’m not going to give their names, elected officials coming up to me,” Smith said to ABC News’ “This Week” Sunday.
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“I’ve had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others that have talked to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature,” he added. “I’m not a politician. I’ve never had a desire to be a politician.”
Stephen A Smith Smith became the talk of town for his hot takes on sports, yet over recent years, he’s ventured frequently into politics, criticizing President Trump and Democrats for losing to him.
Although Smith has hinted and flirted with a 2028 bid, the ESPN host revealed that he would like to see someone with the necessary experience step up.
“I would hope somebody else would step up that’s more qualified than me, but if it has to come down to me, it is something I would consider,” he added.
Only a week ago, the sports host reportedly drew headlines for declaring that he will “no longer close the door” on a possible presidential run.
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“Here’s the reality: People, literally people, have walked up to me, including my own pastor, for crying out loud, who has said to me, ‘You don’t know what God has planned for you,’” Smith claimed, adding that his pastor told him to respect “the people who believe” in him.
Smith voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election although he later admitted to feeling like a “fool” because the ex-vice president got the Democrats nod without a primary.
Although he strongly criticizes Democrats, Smith has made it clear he is not particularly happy with the Trump administration.
“I don’t like what I’m seeing, but I’m not surprised. I mean, this whole tariff war situation is utterly ridiculous,” he lamented. “He should have immediately targeted China and not every nation on the planet, for crying out loud.”
“There doesn’t appear to be a plan. Let’s be, let’s be very, very clear about that,” he added. “But in the end, you know, what you have to applaud them for is for trying something.”
Smith’s breakout with Democrats is that “they talk and they talk and they talk” but fail to achieve anything.
“It’s an indictment against a Democratic Party that doesn’t have leadership,” he argued. “It doesn’t have a vision.”
The 2028 race looks like the first presidential contest in nearly ten years without an incumbent running on either side, and it is creating a massive opening for Democrats and Republicans to make the most of it.
